DORCHESTER Town are already a third of the way towards matching last season’s tally of home league wins after seeing off Hereford United on Saturday.

The Magpies only won three times in front of their own supporters during the previous campaign, and they had to wait more than a month to record their first victory at the Avenue on that occasion.

This season they wasted no time whatsoever in getting off the mark at home with two goals from Dan Smith and one for Dan Cann proving good enough to defeat a Hereford side that because of off the field problems may have played their last game.

Dorchester go into their second fixture at the Avenue this term, against Chippenham Town tomorrow (7.45pm), just a point off the top of the Southern Premier League table and ahead of rivals Weymouth on goal difference.

Reflecting on Saturday’s triumph, Magpies’ boss Phil Simkin, said: “I thought we played well and it was a good all-round performance.

“That is the best side we’ve played this season by a long way.

“They had some really good players and moved the ball around well, and had we not been on our best behaviour we would have gone behind.

“It gives us six points which I’m quite happy with.

“Whatever happens (to Hereford), we’ve won and we put in a performance in front of our own people which was important.”

Commenting further on some of Dorchester’s stand-out performers, he added: “Steve Walker gets better and better. He never lost a header all afternoon and he was good on the deck.

“People keep knocking Steve and I’m the only one who ever stood up for him because I could see he had something.

“He is getting to be a better footballer now and is more confident.

“Nick Crittenden is brilliant and I don’t know how he does what he does.

“Jamie Gleeson was excellent, you can’t shake him off the ball, he’s so well-balanced and strong in the upper body.”

The only downside for Simkin was a hamstring injury picked up by Ben Joyce, who is now set to miss the clash with Chippenham.

Joyce was replaced by club captain Nathan Walker on Saturday after the latter started the match as a substitute having missed the first two games of the season.

Simkin also confirmed that Bournemouth loanee Mason Walsh will be out for some time following a serious ankle injury against Arlesey.